‘Realistic’ chance students might miss Christmas at home

University students may not be allowed home over Christmas if coronavirus is not under control, Scotland’ s education secretary has warned.

John Swinney said there is a “realistic possibility” they could be asked to stay in halls or other university accommodation.

Phased returns home and back to university are being considered by the UK’s governments to limit further infections by the movement of “substantial” numbers of people around the country.

On BBC Good Morning Scotland, the deputy first minister said the return of students at C hristmas “without a doubt” depends on the coronavirus infection rate being reduced.

Asked if that means students could be forced to remain in halls of residence, he said: “We want to avoid that at all possible cost because we want students to return home.

“But I have to be realistic that, if we have a situation where the virus has not been controlled, then we will have to look at other scenarios and other plans.”

He added: “There is a lot of thinking and work going on within the Scottish Government, with Universities Scotland, the institutions, with the National Union of Students, and also with the governments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she understands students will be “worried and anxious” about the prospect of being unable to return home at Christmas but she does not want to give them “false assurances”.

“We will do everything we can over the next few weeks to set out a path that sees you able to return home for Christmas.”

The Scottish Government is looking at phased term dates and possible testing

of students and issues of people returning home where there are vulnerable people.

“We will set that out as early as we can, with as much certainty as we can, but the really difficult thing in all of this is that we are living through an inherently uncertain and unpredictable pandemic.”

Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said: “Students have already been at the sharp end of ad -hoc policy-making by the Scottish Government and now face further dithering and delays.

“We must have assurances that the government has a robust plan in place to ensure a safe return of young people to their families for Christmas, including the testing of students before they can safely return home and then again when they head back to university after the holidays.”

Scottish Conservative education spokesman Jamie Greene said: “( The SNP) can ill- afford to repeat their chaotic mistakes that students endured when they returned to university in September, leaving many alone and with no support.

“John Swinney seems to be taking a ‘just wait and see’ approach, which offers very little comfort that thousands of young people will actually be able to see their families this Christmas.”

John Swinney said students being allowed home at Christmas depended on a reduced infection rate.